David Price faces 41-year-old Tony Thompson in Liverpool, England on February 23rd

By Scott Gilfoid: British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion David Price (15-0, 13 KO’s) is continuing his streak of fighting 40-year-old fighters in his bout on February 23rd against 41-year-old Tony Thompson (36-3, 24 KO’s) at the Echo Arena, in Liverpool, England.

For the last two fights, the combined age of the 6’8” Price’s opponents are 85. You can now add the 41-year-old Thompson to that mix to give you a 126.

I don’t remember ever seeing a hyped heavyweight like Price fighting guys as old as the ones he’s been facing repeatedly. Sure, all the heavyweights take on an old guy at some point in their career but I’ve never seen one that fought them over and over like Price has. Price beat 40-year-old Audley Harrison last October, and then 45-year-old Matt Skelton, and now 41-year-old Thompson.

The strange part about it is that Price has been saying how these fights, which have been totally one-sided, are good for his career and they help him improve. Harrison threw maybe a jab or two before getting knocked out; 45-year-old Skelton hit Price with a handful of slaps before he was bulldozed, and now Price is fighting 41-year-old Thompson, who was knocked out in the 6th round in his last fight against IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko last July.

Thompson looked totally shot. Back in 2007 and 2008, Thompson was a pretty good heavyweight, but he’s really slowed down and I can’t see him doing anything with Price or anyone. If you put him in with the talented Deontay Wilder, I’d be willing to bet that Wilder gets Thomson out of there in one round. It’s just too easy now.

Tyson Fury isn’t too impressed with Price’s choice of an opponent. Fury said on his twitter page “Thompson is s*** 43, and been KO’ed in his last fight.”

Price’s promoter Frank Maloney said “This is the right fight at the right time for David and one where a win will propel him even higher.”

When you hear a fighter or in this case a promoter talking about fighting a guy at the “right time”, what they often mean is that they’re getting the fighter when he’s shot enough to be beaten easily without risk, and that’s sad. That’s not even sporting. Gee, I want to get this fighter at the “right time”, just after they got stomped and looked painfully slow and old.

How does Price get propelled even higher after beating yet another old guy? In sports you don’t improve by beating up on weak opponents. Improvement comes from facing the best. If this was football and a better team was continuously facing weaker teams while bragging about how they’re getting them at the “right time”, how would the stronger team be improving? It would just be a record padding game, and nothing than that.

I’d like to see Price step it up a couple levels and fight some actual relevant heavyweights at the “wrong time.” How about putting Price in with Chris Arreola or the guy that knocked him out in the amateur ranks Berman Stiverne?